--- title: 'Counterfeiting in the Time of the Novel Coronavirus' url: 'https://argobs.com/en/la-contraffazione-ai-tempi-del-nuovo-coronavirus' markdown: 'https://argobs.com/en/la-contraffazione-ai-tempi-del-nuovo-coronavirus.md' lang: en date: '2020-02-14' description: 'Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed the growing spread of the novel Coronavirus strain 2019-nCoV (responsible for the respiratory disease known as COVID-19), which has received extensive media coverage around the world. Although the virus has a lower mortality rate than SARS and MERS, it spr…' taxonomy: category: - contraffazione --- # Counterfeiting in the Time of the Novel Coronavirus 14 February 2020 | Counterfeiting Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed the growing spread of the novel **Coronavirus strain 2019-nCoV (responsible for the respiratory disease known as COVID-19)**, which has received extensive media coverage around the world. Although the virus has a lower mortality rate than SARS and MERS, it **spreads far more easily**. Precisely because of the fear of infection, people's lives in the worst-affected areas have changed radically. Many, to prevent infection, avoid travelling through or staying in overly crowded areas and leave home as little as possible. For this reason, public venues such as supermarkets, restaurants and cinemas are avoided by a large part of the Chinese population. To obtain food and entertainment, therefore, people turn to online markets. The Chinese digital market, one of the most developed in the world, thanks to players such as **Tencent (WeChat, QQ) and Alibaba (Taobao, Alibaba)**, can provide consumers with an answer to every need. In recent days, for example, there has been much talk of the considerable increase in subscribers on streaming platforms, where several films scheduled for cinemas have been released, and of the **exponential growth in orders on e-commerce platforms**. **The spread of protective face masks** One of the most purchased items, and now visible in every television report from Chinese cities, is the anti-virus face mask. Since the start of the epidemic, **protective face masks have been sold at a staggering speed across China**. Wearing a mask was already a common habit in China, as in many Asian countries, both because of pollution and to prevent seasonal illnesses (even though the specifications of anti-pollution and anti-viral masks differ). The fear of infection, however, **has caused a rise in demand for masks, resulting in higher prices and shrinking stocks across the country** (although the effectiveness of masks as protection against COVID-19 has not yet been demonstrated). As reported by many international sources, from the [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/business/coronavirus-face-masks.html) to [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-masks/chinas-mask-makers-cancel-holidays-jack-up-wages-as-new-virus-spurs-frenzied-demand-idUSKBN1ZM18E), many companies have had to increase their production considerably to cope with the exponential rise in demand. **The dangers of counterfeit masks** Taking advantage of the crisis and the price increases, **hundreds of shops offering counterfeit masks for sale** have sprung up on the major e-commerce platforms. The phenomenon, although already present in the past, has grown over the last month, worrying the authorities and the e-commerce platforms themselves because of the **high danger of these products**. In addition to **trademark infringement and fraud against consumers**, the spread of counterfeit masks may **increase the risk of the disease spreading**, since users, believing they are protected, may expose themselves to high-risk situations. To tackle the problem, the Chinese authorities have taken action, arresting some of those involved in the online resale of counterfeit masks and seizing **more than 170,000 items**. Alongside the authorities, some platforms have also taken action. An initiative by Taobao, China's leading marketplace, has led to the **suspension of more than 80 stores** that were offering **counterfeit 3M-branded masks** on the platform. Despite the operations of the authorities and the platforms, **the risks remain widespread** since on many online platforms, not only Chinese ones, **hundreds of listings for counterfeit protective masks are still visible**. In this regard, before purchasing a mask, it is advisable to **check the reliability of the seller, be wary of prices that are too low and consult the many guides on identifying counterfeit products**. The problem of counterfeit medical devices and medicines has for many years been **one of the scourges of e-commerce, and only a joint effort by consumers, manufacturers, national authorities, e-commerce platforms and other players in the digital world can curb it.** --- ## Navigation - Parent: [News](https://argobs.com/en/news.md) - Previous: [Webinar: When Your Brand Goes Online, It’s at High Risk – The Current State of Online Brand Protection in Asia](https://argobs.com/en/webinar-quando-il-vostro-marchio-e-online-la-sua-tutela-e-ad-alto-rischio-la-situazione-corrente-dellonline-brand-protection-in-asia-2.md) - Next: [When cybercrime ruins a company and destroys jobs](https://argobs.com/en/quando-il-cybercrime-rovina-unazienda-e-distrugge-posti-di-lavoro.md)